SMEs and why banks have to get up to speed

Not so long ago, SME banking revolved around basic transactions and loans, with relationships typically forged through personal meetings at the bank.

Now, many SME customers use smart phones or a personal computer to interact with the bank, while at the same time SME banking has grown in complexity, with customers moving away from "plain vanilla" banking in favour of more bespoke and innovative solutions.

In the past few years, digitisation has had a profound impact on how SMEs do business. Mobile technology, in particular, is transforming the way they source, produce, market and sell their products. The pace of change is also accelerating, with mobile phones widely predicted to become the preferred consumer payment device within just a few years.

Not surprisingly, all of this has changed what SMEs need from their financial-service providers. With the branch no longer the fulcrum of relationships, banks must find a way to reconnect with SMEs in the digital space. Despite impressive digital strategies and the launch of multiple new channels, however, many banks have yet to figure out how best to do this.

First, they should see digitisation as a great opportunity to reconnect with their SME customers. By investing time in understanding the digital agenda of SMEs, and developing a differentiated digital proposition, banks have the chance to recast themselves in a new role as digital partners to small businesses.

SMEs themselves have not changed. They are still on the constant lookout for ways to run their businesses faster, better and more cheaply. They still need banks to support them as they grow and expand. Digitisation merely offers a whole new set of options for achieving this and allowing customers to do their banking and to access critical information while they are on the move.

SMEs - perhaps more than any customer group - are embracing digital solutions at speed, with digital now widely predicted to become the main customer-relationship channel for such businesses in the next couple of years. To a large extent, this is being fuelled by the rapid advance of smart phones and tablets globally. In 2011, the sale of smart phones surpassed that of PCs for the first time. And by 2015, according to Gartner, a US-based information-technology research and advisory firm, tablets sold are expected to equal sales of PCs.

Driven by customer demand and the ongoing search for greater cost efficiency, many SMEs are embracing e-invoicing or mobile payment solutions to allow their customers to make purchases on the go. You only have to look at the fast adoption of mobile payments tools such as Square and iZettle to see that this is an area of priority for SMEs.

Banks should focus on developing a strong mobile banking proposition for businesses,Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials. allowing busy SME owners to manage their banking needs from a smart phone or tablet, so that they can concentrate on running their business. Virtual advisers can be useful,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. reinforcing the relationship aspect of banking, while empowering SME customers to self-serve and bring down costs.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead.

Banks can also develop mobile and Internet services that would help SMEs tap into new revenue streams and markets, and also to access relevant information beyond traditional banking services. By extending their online platforms, for example,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? banks could help create virtual communities that allow SMEs to network or promote their products and find new customers or suppliers.

Most important of all, while pursuing their digital strategies, banks should not lose sight of the basics. Like all other customers, SMEs expect a seamless banking experience. They want banking to be as simple, fast, cost-efficient and convenient as it can be.

For all the investment in new digital channels and solutions, banks should continue to focus on this fundamental need. This means fully integrating all channels. It means having a comprehensive and user-friendly website, and it means helping customers save time and money on basic tasks, such as opening a new account, applying for a company debit or credit card, or looking through past transactions.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are a core client group for banks, as they have always been. Prosperous economies depend on SMEs to drive growth and employment, and SMEs depend on long-term support from banks. Getting digital banking right for SMEs, and reinventing SME banking relationships for the digital age, should therefore be an urgent priority across the industry.

Howard Brown rebranding Triad health clinic alongside expansion

As part of a plan to move and expand services at its Triad Health Practice in the Boystown LGBT enclave, Howard Brown Health Center announced Tuesday it is rebranding and opening the clinic at its new space on North Halsted Street late next month.

Branding for the clinic’s new name, Aris Health, has already appeared on windows at the redesigned 4,050-square-foot facility, 3245 N. Halsted St., formerly occupied by Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group. The changes will officially go into place March 25, the organization said.

In April, Howard Brown said it would relocate the clinic to the larger location from a smaller space at 3000 N. Halsted St. due to capacity demands for its expanding services, such as pediatric care.

The new storefront location, which is steps away from of one of the symbolic Halsted Street rainbow pylons and directly across the street from Steamworks, a gay bathhouse, will afford the clinic greater visibility, the organization said.

“We are excited about opening Aris Health in the heart of the community to serve patients in an environment completely focused on their care,” said Karma Israelsen, interim president and CEO at HBHC.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. “It’s important for us to meet the comprehensive health and wellness needs of those we serve.”

The increased prominence in Boystown will help the organization reach its goal of more than doubling the clinic’s current base of 2,000 patients to 5,000 patients in the first few years. The new space has capacity for nearly 10,000 patients, or about the amount served at Howard Brown’s Sheridan Road facility.

In addition to clinical health services and pediatric care, Aris Health will also offer adult primary and behavioral care.

“We added pediatrics as part of our core practice offering last year to serve our patients’ children; Aris Health and the expanded space allows us to fulfill this need,” said Israelsen.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials.

Specifically, the facility will house nine exam rooms, including a separate space for pediatric care; an onsite Walgreens pharmacy and free lot parking off Halsted Street — all of which will translate into benefits for patients, said HBHC’s Medical Director Dr. Magda Houlberg, M.D.

“At Aris Health, we are proud to institute a patient-focused model of care in a new and fresh environment that focuses on our patient experience,” Houlberg said.

Patients served at the new facility will be part of its new “complete patient-centered care model,” a system which promotes the involvement of patients in their medical care and ultimately leads to the development of personal relationships with their providers, according to Howard Brown.

As part of that relationship, the patient and provider work together on preventive and chronic care management which might also include the care a patient receives at other health facilities, the organization said in a statement.

Among the features of the new column-free facility are tunnel space for four batting cages, two infield areas, a 28-foot high ceiling, video capability, a concession stand and pro shop.

“As we continue to position ourselves as a prime destination for baseball and softball players, the new building will enable us to provide a place for events and training for the entire year,” said Frank Zitaglio, general manager of BBH, a subsidiary of Steel Sports Inc. “Further, the addition of a former player of Frank Catalanotto’s caliber will serve to solidify Baseball Heaven as the leading facility of its kind in the region.”

Catalanotto will provide individual and group instruction to baseball players and teams. He enjoyed a 14-year MLB career with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers,Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services. Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets, compiling a .291 lifetime average in 1,265 games.How cheaply can I build a solar power systems?

“I’m very excited to be a part of this great complex, and I look forward to working with players of all ages as they continue to develop their skills,” said Catalanotto, a native of Long Island, N.Y.

The new building is part of an overall upgrade BBH is planning in the coming year, including the construction of two new concession stands, the creation of extra parking, live online video streaming of all games and the development and implementation of a variety of sports instruction and development programs.

Zitaglio said both the construction of the new building and other renovations to the complex will create new jobs within the community and underscores BBH’s commitment to Long Island, a large portion of which was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

“We are extremely thankful to our community leaders and the Town of Brookhaven Planning Board for approving this excellent addition to our complex,” Zitaglio added. “We want to make sure that every current and potential player and team fully understands that we’re here for the long term. And through Baseball Heaven, we aim to continue to foster the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and integrity – all of the good things that baseball and softball are about.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead.”

Nonprofits and corporations team for the environment

Natural disasters can be tough on the Houston area's environment. Hurricanes diminish marshes. Storms sweep litter and lawn-fertilizer runoff into waterways. Invasive plants muscle out native vegetation,Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials. and drought devastates the city's urban forest.

But green-minded nonprofit organizations and corporations are working together to protect and restore the environment. The oil-and-gas industry is a major partner in this effort, donating dollars and providing volunteers for the cause. As a result, bayous and beaches are cleaner; marshes are being replanted. Green spaces are expanding, and lost trees are being replaced.

"We are strong environmental stewards because it is the right thing to do and is part of our value system," says Joni Baird, who oversees public and governmental affairs for Chevron's Houston office. "By partnering with nonprofits, we can work together to solve issues of local concern."

It's a nasty, recurring sight. But for a decade, the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership has overseen an effort that's collected approximately 13,550 cubic yards, or 1,129 dump trucks, of yuck. A garbage-guzzling skimmer boat and the Shell-sponsored Clean and Green program's foot patrol of community service workers do the dirty work. They remove garbage and plants such as giant ragweed, tallow and chinaberry. They also plant native vegetation to improve habitats and biodiversity along the bayou.

"Shell partners with leading environmental organizations that promote sustainable communities and encourage healthy lifestyles among our employees and families," says Frazier K. Wilson, vice president of Shell Oil Company Foundation and manager of social investment for Shell.

Partnership director Anne Olson says Shell donates $100,000 annually to Clean and Green, and the Port of Houston gives $50,000.

"It's been a very successful program, and last year we expanded again. We can have it totally cleaned, then there's heavy rain and another round of trash,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems?" she says.

But cleanup efforts have paid off, and water quality has improved. "What was the Reeking Regatta is now the Buffalo Bayou Regatta," Olson says about the annual canoe and kayak trek along the waterway.

ConocoPhillips, EnerVest, ExxonMobil and Apache also have provided financial and volunteer support for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. And thousands of families enjoy environmental activities during KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou,We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead. Olson says.

It's a nasty, recurring sight. But for a decade, the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership has overseen an effort that's collected approximately 13,550 cubic yards, or 1,129 dump trucks, of yuck. A garbage-guzzling skimmer boat and the Shell-sponsored Clean and Green program's foot patrol of community service workers do the dirty work. They remove garbage and plants such as giant ragweed, tallow and chinaberry. They also plant native vegetation to improve habitats and biodiversity along the bayou.

"Shell partners with leading environmental organizations that promote sustainable communities and encourage healthy lifestyles among our employees and families," says Frazier K. Wilson, vice president of Shell Oil Company Foundation and manager of social investment for Shell.

Partnership director Anne Olson says Shell donates $100,000 annually to Clean and Green, and the Port of Houston gives $50,000.

"It's been a very successful program, and last year we expanded again. We can have it totally cleaned, then there's heavy rain and another round of trash," she says.

But cleanup efforts have paid off, and water quality has improved. "What was the Reeking Regatta is now the Buffalo Bayou Regatta," Olson says about the annual canoe and kayak trek along the waterway.

ConocoPhillips, EnerVest, ExxonMobil and Apache also have provided financial and volunteer support for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. And thousands of families enjoy environmental activities during KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou, Olson says.

LaHood said the country has fallen behind in its commitment to infrastructure and modernizing its transit services – shortcomings that have affected national parks and scenic lands.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.

“We’re not No. 1 anymore because we have not made the investment in transportation. Frankly, America is one big pothole right now and we need to invest in infrastructure,” he said.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data.

The transportation secretary said the new buses will reduce traffic congestion along the 50-mile road while alleviating parking shortages at Apgar Village and improving safety and efficiency.

“In his State of the Union address last week, President (Barack) Obama called on us to upgrade our nation’s transportation infrastructure to help grow our economy and improve energy efficiency,” said Secretary LaHood. “Improving access to modern transit services in Glacier National Park and other scenic parklands around the country will help us preserve these national treasures for future generations.”

Rogoff said an effective and modernized transportation system goes a long way toward improving visitor experiences at national parks.

“Visitors to Glacier National Park should be able to explore this stunning area without getting stuck in traffic or breathing harmful emissions,” Rogoff said. “By modernizing transit in our parks, we’re making it easier for people to get around, while ensuring that these areas are sustainable for years to come.”

Hamilton CBD open for business, says mayor

With 50 commercial property-associated developments worth around $300 million on the go in the CBD, Hamilton is saying "this city is open for business and the place to put your money",How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? says mayor Julie Hardaker.

She told a Cranes over The CBD presentation by some of the city's major commercial property developers in Hamilton yesterday that council staff had been "flat out" processing land use consents in recent months.

Of 116 consents, 38 had been for commercial property developments, she said.

More than 220 sector players turned out at SkyCity Hamilton for the presentation, organised by the Hamilton Central Business Association.

Lyall Green of Design Management Consultants, developer of Project Grantham, said the six-level riverside building rising on Grantham St would be ready for occupation in December, just 17 months from start.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials.

State owned enterprise Mighty River Power is the anchor tenant.

Green said space, including a retail option, was still available on the ground and first floors. The building will have a restaurant and function room.

Part of Project Grantham had been relocating the 109 year old heritage-rated building The Hamilton Club, beside the main building.

Green said his company "ran into a brick wall" in trying to discuss its ideas and concepts for the old building with the Historic Places Trust.

"They have their own passionate ideas which from a rationalist's point of view are completely irrational - and I told them so," he said.

"It is a concern there are a number of buildings with historic place designation (in this area) if this city really is going to pay homage to the river. There are a number of buildings that will have to deal with the Historic Places Trust."

Green said the next obstacle to progress were archaeologists, who had a budget of $300,000, and "held up the project for months" just to find a "few broken plates and a horse bone". The Hamilton Club building will offer 440 square metres of space over two floors.

The main building is "green star" rateable to the equivalent of a four-star rating.

Sustainability features include the use of recycled rainwater and the most efficient air-conditioning system on the market, Green said.

McConnell Group, developer of the distinctive triangular Citygate building rising on the Anglesea and Ward St corner site that has been vacant for 17 years, said its development would be the first in the CBD to be accredited with a "green star" four-star rating. The A-grade building with a 73 per cent interior daylight ratio, would be finished in mid-July, said spokeswoman Kate Watts. The six-storey building featured four office levels of 1000sqm each, largely column-free, and ground floor retail offering five to six tenancies, she said. It would accommodate up to 400 people. At basement level would have parking for 42 cars. A highlight of the development was its 735sqm public plaza.

Blair Wolfgram, managing director of Property Consulting Group, lead developer for the Les Mills project, said it would have a 2800sqm exercise area and a 440sqm group fitness studio, 150sqm bigger than the current facility one block south. The new facility is expected to have up to 5000-member visits a week, he said.

Club Cardio director Susie Vincent said plans included two 25m "fast" swimming pools and a flow pool, learn-to-swim classes and parking for 110 cars. A name change was on the cards, with Fast Lane a contender, she told the Waikato Times.

For the $40m Centre Place redevelopment, Ivan Bartley of owner Kiwi Income Property Trust said the shopping precinct formerly known as Downtown had closed on January 31 for conversion into a dedicated fashion mall, with new tenants and new shop fronts.

A $7m digital upgrade and refurbishment of the Centre Place cinema complex for Hoyts would open in October, Bartley said. Centre Place comprised 12 properties which KIPT starting buying in 1994. When the 2011 redevelopment of Centre Place as a focus of "fashion, food and entertainment" with new anchor tenant Farmers was complete, it would have more than 110 specialty stores, he said.

Oyster Property Group has launched its first proportionate ownership scheme for 2013 by offering investors the Orion Health building, known as Orion House, in Grafton.

The multi-level office complex, with more than 4670sq m of net lettable area on a 3003sq m freehold site in a popular fringe CBD commercial area at 181 Grafton Rd, was sold by Orion Health to Oyster Property Group for $21.5 million through Peter Herdson and Andrew Reed of Colliers International.

Orion Health is leasing it back for a 15-year term with three rights of renewal of five years each.

Mark Winter,We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead. Oyster director, is now marketing 115 interests in the property at $100,000 each, with a projected initial pre-tax return of 8.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.47 per cent. The remainder of the settlement price comprises bank funding.

Winter says investors will be attracted to the property's superb location and the recent substantial building upgrade to 100 per cent of new building standard.

Oyster's chief executive, Mark Schiele, says the property was attractive because of its location, quality of refurbishment, calibre of tenant and length of lease - all attributes that make for sound long-term property investment.

"There is no doubt that Orion Health is an exceptional business with strong international growth prospects; a true New Zealand success story. Orion's commitment to the site - with its 15-year lease with three five-year rights of renewal - as well as the further development potential will be attractive to investors."

Ian McCrae, Orion Health's chief executive, said the company decided to sell the property in order to focus on its core business, while retaining the site on a long-term lease.

"Orion Health purchased the Grafton Rd building with the goal of creating an ideal workspace featuring elegant design and maximum functionality for our employees," says McCrae. "We also needed to allow for long-term growth,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. and so a flexible lease agreement was established for the property to enable expansion over time."

Herdson says the property offers an ideal income-generating investment and the strong sales result reflects the quality of the tenant, the long lease term and the income growth on offer.

"The sale of this prime city-fringe property offers investors significant potential for income and capital growth, through the inclusion of periodic reviews and a long lease to a large multinational tenant," he says.

The facility was constructed as two separate buildings in the 1970s. They joined in the 1980s. It includes basement carparking for 87 vehicles.

Orion Health has undertaken a full-scale rebuild and refurbishment of 181 Grafton Rd since purchasing it in mid-2011.

The building is now rated at 100 per cent of new building standard and provides an attractive open-plan workspace, says Herdson. "The significant rebuilding and upgrade works included seismic strengthening, new aluminium glazed partitioning in the office areas, new carpet in the office areas, polished concrete flooring in the staff kitchen, interior and exterior repainting, bathroom refurbishment and installation of showers, and an upgrade of the building management system."

An Overlooked Industrial Stock For Growth And Income

In the latest wave of yearly predictions, most analysts are touting industrial stocks for 2013. One reason is because this group has under-performed in the bull market of the past few years, and values are relatively attractive. Another is that industrial companies generally reflect the cyclical nature of the overall economy, which seems to be improving. Most economists expect further US and global recovery in 2013, with double-dip recession fears fading in the rear view mirror.

Of course, now that industrials have entered the spotlight, the obvious plays have been bid up. The following chart of the NASDAQ Industrial segment indicates the relatively flat return over the past two years until the dawn of 2013.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. The recent 17% rise is more than double that of the market in general in the past two months.

Engages in the precision contract metal machining business in the United States primarily for customers in the recreational vehicle, energy, aerospace/avionics/defense, and bioscience industries. WSCI provides single-source turn-key solutions, including engineering support, raw material procurement, outside services, supplier management, precision manufacturing and assembly and stocking of finished goods for large volume customers under multi-year arrangements.

The company recently reported a 43% sales increase in the first quarter of 2013 and a 310% increase in net income. This is no fluke as WSCI improved sales by 30% in the 2012 fiscal year, and it increased earnings by 64%. If anything, business is accelerating.

From a value point of view, it carries a trailing P/E of 10 and the stock, at its current price of $6.15, has a market cap of 1.5 times its book value and about half of its sales volume. It currently pays a very nice dividend yield of 2.6%. The dividend represents less than 30% of earnings, so coverage is reasonable, and there is room for distribution growth. So, with exceptional growth, value and income yield, why has WSCI not participated in the industrial rally?

Polaris is enjoying 12% sales growth and that trend is expected to continue through 2014. Obviously, the dependence on PII is a double-edge sword for WSI Industries. If PII were to reduce orders, WSCI would be in trouble. However, the engineering, tooling and volume requirements that WSCI provides in this relationship make it difficult for competitors to step in, or for PII to invest the capital to produce these precision components in its own facilities. Even if PII made that change, it would take some time for a WSCI competitor to be able to meet the growth needs of PII. Smaller competitors are not capable of investing in the appropriate technology, plant capacity and automation systems to be competitive and meet customer expectations for superb quality.

To deal with the growth expectations of its core customers, WSCI is currently building an additional facility to double capacity, and that should be on-line in July 2013. Management has stated that one-third of the new plant will be occupied with existing orders upon completion.

The dependence on Polaris is probably considered a negative by the market, but the growth trajectory and relationship with that customer is allowing WSCI to expand capacity and further separate from competition,My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. as well as provide opportunities for an expanded customer base.

“We compared the results of PCBs with and without Photo Stencil’s Smart-Release nano coating and we found measureable advantages,This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity.” said John Ross, manufacturing engineering manager, OnCore Manufacturing Services. “Smart-Release reduces the spread of solder paste under the stencil even when the stencil is not making good contact to the PCB pad. The resulting process is faster and more efficient, while achieving excellent printing results.”

“The direct cost of cleaning a stencil is about $0.How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself.15 for each cleaning, so each additional print that can be made before the stencil needs to be cleaned saves $0.15,” explained Rachel Short,Learn more about the different types of laser marking machine by careel-tech.com. VP sales and marketing, Photo Stencil. “As demonstrated in our collaborative tests with OnCore, using Smart-Release coated stencils can result in 40 additional prints before cleaning is necessary. And that cost savings doesn’t include the time and labor involved in cleaning or the loss of throughput.”

Why some businesses will fail to see the writing on the wall

You consider producing it yourself, but decide that life would be easier if a big pencil company introduced the pen under their brand, and just sent you a royalty cheque every month. So you search the web and send out emails to pencil manufacturers. You try to whet their appetite without giving too much away. Despite the global opportunity, you don’t get many replies, but eventually you are invited to a meeting. You’re nervous, but it goes well and everyone seems convinced. “This could be absolutely revolutionary!”, someone says. Well, you think, if they can just crack a tiny share of the potential market, I will make a fortune. Negotiations begin, but they are painfully slow. The eventual offer seems very one-sided. They are not paying much, they want exclusivity, they will not commit to any minimum sales, and if they improve on your pen design, that’s to their benefit, not yours. You haggle without really making any progress, and you start to worry they’re secretly working on their own pen invention. You read about the Apple – Samsung patent dispute and realise you could never afford to fight such a battle against a big corporation. And you begin to suspect that perhaps the pencil company doesn’t really want the pen to become successful; perhaps they think it will destroy their pencil sales; perhaps they are just hoping you will run out of money and disappear.

In frustration, you change course and decide to manufacture and sell the pen yourself. You fly to China (which is what everyone does), and look for a manufacturer. Even there, though, you realise it will be expensive to manufacture. The unit cost is very high unless you make a large order, and invest in tooling. But you re-mortgage the house, cut back on family holidays, and produce some stock. And you create a website and start cold-calling stationery stores.My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. With just a few sales, you are welcomed to the world of retail: warehousing,This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity. advertising, collecting payment, distributing product, low margins, product returns, warranties. Overwhelmed,Learn more about the different types of laser marking machine by careel-tech.com. you need to hire staff and are continuing to burn cash. You lose a potentially significant order due to a mishap, and a pen leaks in someone’s suit, ruining it. Frustrated and nearly broke, you give up, just as you see something very similar to your pen hit the market.

Depressed? As a backer of early-stage businesses, imagine how I feel – these are my daily struggles. But struggles are lessons we could use. An idea is worth nothing. Brilliance in invention needs to be matched by brilliance in commercialisation. “Day zero” is the day a deal is signed or the product hits the shelves. Most new businesses fail. Sadly, not every new pen is something to write home about.

A solid earnings report is expected from Apple at this point; what's needed is the excitement and hype Apple is famous for, and that's only possible by delaying and teasing the inevitable, the one thing everyone wants: a new device -- in this case,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. a new iPhone.

Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who has a particularly excellent track record when it comes to predicting products in the Apple pipeline, having correctly guessed most of last year’s devices and their release dates – said he believes Apple will release two new iPhones, including the “iPhone 5S” and “new design iPhone 5,” in Q3 2013, which will be some time between September and December.

Considering how Apple released the iPhone 4S in October and the iPhone 5 in September, one might assume Apple will release its next phone – the iPhone “5S” or “6” – in early September,How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself. or even late August. However, instead of following this 11-month release date cycle, Apple should switch things up for its next iPhone, and release it at the very end of the year, either at the end of November or December.

Even though AAPL stock is not a great indicator of the company’s status or success, it does imply there is a general malaise among Apple fans. For the last 14 months, Apple has been going about its business as usual, releasing new products and services every few months with very few surprises. Each new iOS and Mac device is better than the last, but what else is new?

The iPhone 5, for whatever reason, created an incredible hype machine for more than a year. People originally believed the iPhone 4S would be named “iPhone 5,” but when it wasn’t, the “iPhone 5” rumors persisted throughout the next year, until Apple released the phone in late 2012.

The iPhone 5 has been a very successful product for Apple, but the company needs to reenergize its fan base if it hopes to outdo its iPhone 5 sales with the 2013 iPhone. To feed the hype machine, Apple should wait for a longer-than-normal period to release the iPhone 6.

Until the most recent quarter, the iPhone 4S was largely responsible for Apple’s most successful quarter in history in Q1 2012, despite no other iOS devices sold alongside it; even though the iPhone 5 was a hit product, the timing of its release date may have been slightly off; Apple gave itself more time to roll out the device in more countries, but customers were left more time to choose between Apple’s latest iPhone and all other smartphones released during that time.

Even though the iPhone 5 is a significantly better phone than the iPhone 4S, the 4S made a much greater impact than the iPhone 5 -- its only notable addition at the time being Siri. If Apple wants the iPhone 6 to be its best-selling smartphone ever, the company needs to release the phone closer to the Christmas holiday. Apple would be wise to release the iPhone 6 at the very end of November, which would leave it enough time to roll out in the U.S., as well as a handful of other countries, right before the all-important holiday rush.

Filipino Artist Ronald Ventura Is Making Connections Across Cultures

Like many emerging artists, early in his career Ronald Ventura tended to sell everything he produced. Now that his reputation is firmly established and he is dreaming of one day setting up a contemporary art museum in Manila, the 39-year-old auction star has found himself in the unenviable position of going back to collectors to buy back key pieces.

Ventura has seen the auction prices for his recent work soar in the past few years. The 2011 “Grayground” — a large-scale graphite, oil, and acrylic painting of horses in the midst of battle — was sold that same year to a phone bidder at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for $1.1 million, the highest auction price recorded for a contemporary southeast Asian painting at the time. Yet the Filipino artist says he was stunned to find out how much some of his older works had appreciated. “A couple of years ago, I was looking for a good drawing that I had done. Most of my drawings are usually covered in paint, but I was looking for a drawing that wasn’t. When I found out the price I was shocked.This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity. I couldn’t believe it. It was 10 times more than the original gallery price,” he said, his laugh underscoring his mixed emotions at the steep price increase.

The artist has learned his lesson. He says he now keeps one artwork from every solo exhibition. At the rate his pieces are selling, he should. In his latest show, “recyclables,” held at the Singapore Tyler Print institute, 70 percent of the works were sold by the morning of the opening. Ventura’s plan to set up a private museum to present his own works,My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. as well as the collection of Filipino contemporary art he has slowly accumulated, is little more than a hope for the future, “maybe in three to four years’ time.” For now, he remains tight-lipped about the “other” Filipino artists he has been collecting.How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself. “I don’t want to make any [other artists] jealous ... but I do buy a lot. There are a lot of good artists in manila,” he quipped while relaxing in the private exhibition room of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

A few hours later, at the show’s opening reception, Ventura appeared in a black t-shirt with a black jacket by Maison Martin Margiela, a label known for its understated approach. But he had paired these simple items with white jeans he had hand-painted with an elaborate, graffiti-like design. The contrasting fashion statement is a reflection of the artist’s personality: behind his quiet, soft-spoken demeanor lurks an edgier side that Ventura lets loose in his artworks.

Ventura loves nothing more than to subvert familiar cartoon figures, such as Mickey Mouse or a dwarf from Snow White, giving them a “new reality” with the help of a skull or a gas mask. The artist has risen to prominence on the Asian contemporary art scene with complex, layered works that juxtapose unexpected images, often rather dark — internal organs with flowers and butterflies, or a clown and a gas mask — always rendered with exquisite draughtsmanship. He is known for mixing different styles, such as hyperrealism and Surrealism, cartoons and graffiti.

By day, Ms. Kopka is a freelance editor/writer/illustrator, and at night, she works in her Perrysburg home making painstaking pencil-on-tissue paper drawings before transferring them onto thick paper and enlivening them with color. In December, 10 of her pieces were featured at the Columbus headquarters of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This summer, she'll lead all-level classes at Owens Community College.

Botanical illustration depicts the form, color, and details of plants. It was practiced in ancient India, China, and Egypt where images of plants were carved into pharaohs' tombs,Integrated Car park management system which can administrate regular and temporary customers. says Robin Jess, executive director of the American Society of Botanical Artists in New York.

Botanical art, expected to be beautiful and technically accurate, is riding a wave of popularity, says Ms. Jess, largely among women artists in the United States, England, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan, and South Korea. Concern for the environment and a passion for gardening are fueling the trend.

For hundreds of years, the medium was watercolor.Our parallel Parking assist system helps you park with ease - even in tight spots. These days, graphite, colored pencil, pastels, pen and ink, and oil paints are used.

In David Herzig's living room, water lilies and peachy-gold bearded iris adorn the walls, singing with dramatic colors and larger-than-life size. "It's more about getting you engulfed in a scene," says Mr. Herzig, who paints at his kitchen table, overlooking a small ravine in Monclova Township.

One of his most popular subjects is a four-part sequential unfolding of the majestic amaryllis, a huge bulb with a fast-growing stalk. "I like to say it's like painting a moving target," says Mr. Herzig. He tries to stagger the blooming of 35 amaryllis bulbs for winter painting. His paintings offer more dimension than meets the eye. "I'm trying to depict these things in the round, in a sculptural way."

He studied sculpture and painting at Siena Heights University, but after graduation, gravitated to the watercolors he'd done at Start High School. He owned the Ottawa Gallery in Sylvania from 1988 to 1996, leaving it to paint full time. He did landscapes, and as a homeowner tending to flowers was captivated by plump peonies.

He renders orchids, oriental lilies, cyclamen, and "whatever I find in the garden, whatever I stumble across that catches my fancy. It has to strike me as being graceful and bold."

'Revenge' Episode 14 Recap: Sacrifice

Sunday night's episode was a powerful, emotional and plot-shifting hour of "Revenge". At least two lives were lost, and one is in limbo by the end of "Sacrifice". Picking up exactly where last week's episode left off, we find Jack and Amanda enjoying their honeymoon at sea on Jack's boat. They are content and in love, sleeping on the bow of the boat deck. Unfortunately, as we know from the previous episode, danger lurks below deck for the newlyweds in the form of Nate Ryan.

Back on shore, Helen Crowley lies dead in the Grayson's home,How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself. a casualty they must work to conceal with utmost perfection knowing that the Initiative is watching. Helen's chauffeur begins calling her cellphone when she doesn't return from the Grayson home for an extended period of time, so Victoria disguises herself and gets in the car, driving off as if she herself were Helen. She also instructs Daniel of exactly what to say inside his office at Grayson Global, knowing that the Initiative is watching him meticulously via hidden cameras. It seems nothing gets past Victoria!

Ashley arrives at Emily's beach house to warn her about their "mutual friend" Amanda. She fears Amanda may have gotten in over her head with the Graysons and informs Emily that Amanda blackmailed Conrad into backing out of the Stowaway deal with Nate by showing him damning evidence on a laptop. Hearing that, Emily realizes that Amanda stole her laptop with all the video evidence against the Graysons on it. Moreover, she knows Amanda is likely in trouble and heads over to the Stowaway to find Nolan and try to uncover more information.

Out on the ocean, Nate has made his presence known on "The Amanda" with a drawn gun. Having stowed away underneath the boat deck, he is now isolated on the boat with Amanda and Jack and is out for blood. He asks for the laptop with the information on it and Amanda digs in her backpack to pull out a gun instead- but it's unloaded. Nate has already gotten to it first. Jack and Amanda tangle with Nate for several scenes trying to convince him to drive back to shore. Amanda also tries to "come clean" with him about her hatred for the Graysons and convince him not to trust them. All efforts buy them time, but ultimately Nate is still violent and insane.

Emily and Nolan took out a speedboat as soon as they realized Jack and Amanda were in danger. They speed out into the ocean tracking the sailboat by GPS and get glimpses into the cabin via Declan's computer. Watching Emily and Nolan on a sailboat to the rescue is pretty awesome!

In a press conference, I mean, um, Labor Day party, at Grayson Manor, the family takes the opportunity to stand with Conrad as he announces his candidacy for governor. During the soiree, Conrad and Victoria are approached by a creepy man who identifies himself as a member of the press. This confuses Victoria, as the press was not invited to attend. In a private room they learn that the man is a henchman from the Initiative looking for Helen, who is missing in action. Victoria and Conrad tell him that Helen's disappearance is likely due to Amanda Clarke's resentment about the loss of her father. To strengthen their story, Victoria planted Helen's missing cellphone in Amanda and Jack's apartment,Our parallel Parking assist system helps you park with ease - even in tight spots. which the henchman quickly finds.

As threatening as the Initiative has been (and controlling of her family) Victoria seems to have found a new sense of strength in regards to the group. Perhaps murdering Helen had something to do with it.This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity. Toward the end of the episode we even see Conrad give her a sly smile, clearly impressed by her strength against the Initiative's henchmen.

Aiden is with Padma in NYC coming clean with her about his sister and situation with the Initiative. Aiden is trying to learn more about her father's disappearance and support her so that the Initiative does not trick her as they did with him. In a pivotal scene, Padma is on the phone with the creepy new henchman from the Initiative. As he demands the program Carrion from her, Padma implores him to assure her whether her father is still alive. "The answer is in the package you just signed for, feel free to check the finger print" he says. The camera shifts to a small package on the table. Aiden takes it from Padma to open it- concerned what might be inside- and his face falls. It is a severed finger.

Out in the ocean, things are getting more dangerous as Nate continues to battle with Amanda and Jack. Emily and Nolan continue racing toward their boat, but not quickly enough. Jack and Amanda get into an argument, which seems partially staged and partially heartfelt when Jack hears Amanda say she only came to the Hamptons and married Jack to get back at the Graysons. Jack "turns" on Amanda revealing to Nate that the laptop with Conrad Grayson's precious information is actually onboard.My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. As Nate digs around and opens the laptop (which is actually Declan's), Jack and Amanda scramble to barricade him in the bottom of the boat, blow up a rescue boat and make a run for it. As they attempt to climb over the side of the boat onto the raft, Nate shoots blindly from the cabin, and a bullet hits Jack right in the chest.Integrated Car park management system which can administrate regular and temporary customers. He slumps over (still coherent at this point) as Amanda puts him on the raft and insists on sending him to safety on his own. She sacrifices herself and stays on the sailboat with crazy Nate.

Fake Metropasses and tokens cost TTC close to $2M last year

Phony tokens and a rising number of fake Metropasses cost the TTC close to $2 million last year, as counterfeiters figured out how to bypass high-tech security features.

Fraud was halted initially when tokens were changed to a bimetal design in 2006 and when the TTC added holograms to the Metropass three years later. But the number of fakes has since shot up, and counterfeit passes appear to be on the rise, according to numbers released through a freedom of information request and interviews.

“Once we make a significant change . . . the number of counterfeit incidents tends to drop for a while, until the producers get better at counterfeiting them,” said Fergie Reynolds, deputy chief of the traffic enforcement unit.We've got a plastic card to suit you.

His frontline officers sometimes catch people unwilling to swipe passes through turnstiles, since the magnetic stripes on the knockoffs don’t work. Reynolds said his officers arrested 68 people last year over fake fares.

Counterfeiting has evolved over the years, since people began using gift cards and scanners for “cut-and-paste” jobs, said TTC investigative services Staff Sgt. Mark Russell, who has been tracking counterfeits since the late 1990s.

One or two local operations are now using real card printers and foreign-made holograms, he said, adding the size of these operations could be anything from a bedroom to an industrial space. “It’s more a single large-scale operation than it is all these mom-and-pop operations,” Russell said.

Last year there were 615 fake Metropass reports — a figure that represents incidents, not passes. There were 492 the year before.

“A loose estimate is that roughly 10 per cent of what’s out there comes across my desk,” Russell said, pegging Metropass fraud costs at around $750,000 to $800,000 last year.

The TTC began using holograms in the summer of 2009 as a way to halt fraud. It worked, at first.

Russell said it took about two years before realistic fakes started showing up, going on sale a few days after real ones would go on sale for $128.50. The fake passes were often found at stations near university and college campuses.

With the promise of Presto replacing all but cash fares by 2016, counterfeiting may be an issue only until then, since the company claims the electronic payment chip technology can’t be duplicated and is as secure as a bank card.

For now, fake Metropasses are harder to catch than tokens, since they can remain behind plastic in a wallet for an entire month. Spotting a fake Metropass often falls to TTC operators, who over time have seen enough passes that they can spot a slight discoloration, off texture,Comprehensive Wi-Fi and RFID tag by Aeroscout to accurately locate and track any asset or person. blurry text or misshapen hologram, Russell said.

Counterfeit tokens are sorted electronically once they’re paid into the system. At first glance, they look the same as regular ones made of two types of metal, but they can be discoloured and have misshapen logos and lettering.

Annual losses from fake tokens have hovered above $1 million since 2009. More than 300,000 fake tokens were found last year, Russell said, noting that’s about 0.3 per cent of all tokens collected.

Russell said he believes they’re being made in China, based in part on past experience. Two men were arrested in 2010 after a delivery of more than 3,The USB flash drives wholesale is our flagship product.000 counterfeit tokens from China was intercepted.

“It’s such a common go-to place for this type of thing . . . there’s similarities in distribution and mentality, whether it’s counterfeit Gucci bags and designer whatever,” Russell said, adding he believes holograms used on fake passes could also be made there.

Sometimes police alert Russell to fakes.Wear a whimsical Disney ear cap straight from the Disney Theme Parks! One afternoon last week, for example, he was informed that someone had been picked up at a Walmart carrying five fake passes.

"In almost all cases, your transaction will go through," said Eric Zahren, special agent in charge at the Pittsburgh field office for the U.S. Secret Service. "Everything will seem fine, but that doesn't mean your data wasn't stolen."

Criminals use the data from the magnetic stripe, along with personal identification numbers captured by tiny hidden cameras, to make counterfeit cards and drain people's accounts or run up big credit card bills.

It's a growing problem aided by increasingly sophisticated equipment that thieves place over legitimate card readers making it hard for customers to detect any tampering.

"It's a crime that's on the upswing nationally, and we've seen our share here in the Pittsburgh region," Mr. Zahren said.

Big payoffs are the main attraction. While bank heists net an average of $3,000 to $4,000, a single card skimmer averages 10 times that amount, or some $30,000 to $40,000, said Doug Johnson, vice president of risk management policy at the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.

The pirated card data are stored on the skimmers, which thieves later retrieve, or it's transmitted wirelessly to another location.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers.

The devices are custom made to match individual machines so they are virtually undetectable.

"They look like they are part of the machine," Mr. Johnson said.

Automated teller machines and gas pumps are favorite spots for card skimmers because of the high volume of transactions and because thieves using glue or tape can attach the devices unnoticed.

Other targets include self-checkout aisles at supermarkets and other stores. At restaurants, servers may use handheld skimmers in back rooms after customers hand over their cards to pay the bill.

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and the full-frame RX1

Not too long ago, full-frame digital cameras were cumbersome, heavy and very expensive. They're still a long ways from making a home in the bargain bin, but Sony's new RX1 definitely has size in check. In order to reduce the model's footprint, the Japanese camera maker added a fixed 35mm lens to this point-and-shoot-esque digicam, modeled after the company's gorgeous and versatile RX100. Both of these flagship Cyber-shots offer tremendous bang for your buck, but they'll thin out your wallet faster than they'll capture 10 consecutive 20-plus-megapixel frames. Still, as you'll read after the break, our resident camera reviewer Zach Honig is very much in love.

It's a tale of two cameras, and the RX100 is very much the consistent, quick-thinking, svelte, ever-impressive know-it-all. It's a 20.2-megapixel point-and-shoot with a one-inch sensor and a $650 price tag, so you'd expect it to be fantastic. The experience, however, far exceeded even my most optimistic dreams. This is, hands down, the best compact camera on the market today. There aren't enough positive adjectives to sufficiently describe Sony's masterpiece, but take me on my word: it's absolutely fantastic.

It's really hard to find things not to like about this camera. The focusing system is mind-blowingly fast and accurate, the exposure is always spot-on, color balance is consistently correct and the image quality is superb. The build quality is outstanding, the 3-inch LCD is sharp and bright, the dedicated mode dial is convenient and the f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss lens is quite versatile -- it captures sharp snaps at night, or close-ups with creamy bokeh during the day.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers.

This dream of a camera came along on my two-month tour of Asia toward the end of last year. It captured brilliant shots of temples in Kyoto, beaches in Bali, ruins in Cambodia, shops in Singapore and elephants in Thailand. It snapped crisp, albeit slightly noisy shots at night, and bright, vibrant frames under the intense, unyielding sun. The camera photographed more high-calorie meals than I care to remember without gaining an ounce. And, at the end of each day, I topped up the high-capacity battery through a simple USB connection.

Every week, I get an email from readers, friends and even colleagues asking which camera they should purchase. I don't even bother asking their budget -- nobody expects to spend more than 400 bucks on a point-and-shoot, and $650 is laughable. But I insist, regardless of how much money they've set aside, that they're gonna want to add a few more bills to the pile and pick up the RX100. I still use an NEX-5R for snapping hands-on videos, thanks to its powerful shotgun mic, but for nearly everything else,We've got a plastic card to suit you. the RX100 is my go-to camera, and it should be yours, too.

Now, if you thought $650 was a ridiculous sum for a compact camera, you're really going to get a kick out of the RX1. It'll cost you -- wait for it -- two thousand, eight hundred dollars. That's right, $2,800 -- there's a comma in that price tag. Why in the world would any such machine run you nearly three large? The full-frame sensor's to blame. Accommodating a 35mm sensor, the same chip that ships in Sony's a99 DSLR, in such a small housing meant going with a fixed 35mm lens. There's a maximum f/2 aperture, which, when paired up with the giant sensor, results in some incredibly shallow depth of field.

Whereas I'd recommend the RX100 to photojournalists, preteens and everyone in between, the RX1 simply isn't going to cut it for the vast majority of digital shooters. So, if you have boatloads of cash to burn and you have your heart set on the best of the best, that's not reason enough to spring for Sony's impressive engineering feat. If, however, you know exactly what you're after, this 24.7-megapixel stunner should keep your SD card, and your heart, full and warm.

Since a weekend of shooting in NYC in winter isn't much fun, regardless of the camera around your neck, the RX1 and I hitched a ride to Hawaii for a long weekend of sand, sushi and sunsets. The RX100 spent most of that time in the hands of my girlfriend,Wear a whimsical Disney ear cap straight from the Disney Theme Parks! who, I must add, is also head over heels in love with that thing.Comprehensive Wi-Fi and RFID tag by Aeroscout to accurately locate and track any asset or person. Yet, despite the superior specifications of my own solid shooter, I was often quite jealous of the shots she was able to achieve, thanks in no small part to the RX100's optical zoom.

Framing with a fixed lens is incredibly challenging, and while I was up to the task, as a casual photographer, I can't say it enriched my experience enough to warrant unloading an extra two grand of hard-earned cash. Close-up shots required switching the lens to macro mode and getting incredibly close to my subject, rather than flipping the zoom toggle and maintaining a safe distance. A new perspective at sunset meant walking hundreds of feet, often into the water, in order to avoid snagging lampposts and other unsightly elements.The USB flash drives wholesale is our flagship product. If you've ever shot with a prime lens, you know what to expect here.

How credit card frauds take place

Recently,We've got a plastic card to suit you. credit card frauds made front page headlines. In some cases, the credit card of someone in India was used in the US, despite the fact that the card was with the customer in India.

Though fraudulent transactions are reported on lost or stolen cards, the factor contributing the most to fraudulent transactions is duplication---copying the data on the magnetic strip in a card, when it is used for a valid transaction.

So, does this mean you should stop using your card? No. Come July, cards with an embedded chip and a compulsory pin (like that used for ATM transactions) will be made mandatory in India.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers. This would make your credit card transactions more secure.

Till then, here are a few things to keep in mind. If you do not use your credit card much, reduce its credit limit. Most banks have this facility. The original limit can be restored whenever you need it. If you need a higher credit limit, split the amount by taking multiple cards from the same bank. If the bank doesn’t allow this, take a card from another bank as a back-up and reduce the limit on the card you use frequently. Memorise and scratch out the three-digit CVV (card verification value) code on the back of the card. Note down the bank’s call centre number, as well as your card number, and carry this with you. This way, you can block a card whenever the need arises.

When abroad,Comprehensive Wi-Fi and RFID tag by Aeroscout to accurately locate and track any asset or person. keep your India number in use, even if you are using a local number. This will allow access to text messages from your bank. Ensure you read all messages sent by the bank carefully and promptly block the card if any transaction is not authorised by you. Avoid using credit cards outside India, as such transactions are expensive (3.5 per cent foreign exchange surcharge is levied on all foreign exchange transactions) and the card is prone to duplication in certain countries. Instead, use foreign exchange debit cards or traveller’s cheques.

Using credit cards online has become more secure after the Reserve Bank of India mandated an independent password, known only to the customer, in addition to credit card details. If you are providing your credit card details on the phone to any establishment, the requirements are more stringent---you have to use a PIN generated specifically on a request through your registered mobile number.

To prevent online fraud, never go to your bank or credit card account online by clicking on links from an e-mail.Wear a whimsical Disney ear cap straight from the Disney Theme Parks! Save the link to your online account in Mozilla ‘bookmarks’ or Internet Explorer ‘favorites’ if you use these browsers for online operations. Whenever you log on to net banking accounts, use the virtual keypad. This way, even if your computer is virus-infected with a keystroke logger (it keeps track of your keystrokes), your password would be secure.

While using the card at a merchant outlet, use the message facility available on the verification programme. You can enter a message while verifying your credit card for the first time in the ‘verified by Visa’ or ‘MasterCard Secure’ programme, such as “if this phrase is displayed, I will know this is a genuine website”. Use the net card facility offered by a few banks. Through this, while shopping on websites that charge foreign currency amounts on your credit card, banks provide a temporary one-time virtual credit card.

Su PlayStation 4, o Orbis o come viene chiamata, le speculazioni si sono incessantemente susseguite durante questa lunga e anomala generazione di console. La percentuale di vendite delle attuali macchine cala sempre di più, anche a causa della crisi globale ma non solo. C'è bisogno di nuove console, ma soprattutto di nuove idee. Proporre una nuova macchina solo in grado di posizionarsi a livello tecnico quasi come gli attuali PC di fascia alta sarebbe un errore e Sony ne è consapevole.

Le sue mosse commerciali negli ultimi anni ne sono una prova, ad esempio l'acquisto di Gaikai per 380 milioni di dollari, la piattaforma per giocare in streaming simile alla sfortunata OnLive, costretta a vendere per evitare la bancarotta. Il cloud gaming sarà sicuramente un cavallo di battaglia durante la presentazione a New York. PlayStation 4 quindi non dovrebbe essere retrocompatibile con i vecchi giochi PS3, almeno non con le versioni riversate su dico ottico. Grazie a Gaikai i giocatori potranno scaricare e giocare le "vecchie" glorie PS3 sulla nuova piattaforma, in streaming,The USB flash drives wholesale is our flagship product. con un catalogo che si amplierà anche nel tempo.

Questo servizio verrà accompagnato dal più classico lettore ottico, che non verrà comunque abbandonato. Nonostante il cloud gaming permetta di sfruttare un'esperienza di gioco su più dispositivi e in maniera più ampia, non rappresenta comunque una tecnologia molto diffusa, una console unicamente basata su questa feature rischierebbe il fallimento commerciale.

Orr, bosses disagreed on airport

The push to seize Charlotte Douglas International Airport from decades of city control and hand it to a state-appointed authority has gone from idle chatter to the brink of reality in a matter of weeks.

How could one of the city’s crown jewels, a successful multi-million dollar operation, be transferred to new ownership in less than a month?

The answer is complicated, but one reason cited by city and airport sources involves years of behind-the-scenes tension over airport management.

At the center of the controversy is 71-year-old aviation director Jerry Orr, who has bristled at city control of the airport.

Documents obtained by The Observer show that the conflict between Orr and his bosses came to a head in 2010. The documents outline an Internal Revenue Service audit and a later city report that found the airport violated federal tax law as it allocated millions of dollars in bond money to pay for airport improvements.

In April, 2011, the city placed stricter financial controls on the airport, removing some of the autonomy that Orr had enjoyed.

The city’s finance director, Greg Gaskins, said that the problem – stemming from more than $150 million in bonds from 2004 – was only an accounting issue. After the city review, the IRS decided not to fine the city and didn’t remove tax-exempt status from the bonds.

But several city officials told the Observer that then-City Manager Curt Walton believed the problem was serious. They said that Walton had considered disciplining Orr.

The officials asked not to be named because Orr’s relationship with Walton could be considered a personnel issue, which is private under state law.

After the Democratic National Convention last September, relations between the city and Orr became more strained. In November, the city transferred control of airport police from Orr to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

That followed a highly publicized incident in November 2010 where a Mecklenburg teenager, Devonte Tisdale, is believed by law enforcement to have breached Charlotte Douglas security and stowed away in the wheel well of a jet. His body was found near Logan airport in Boston, where police believe it fell from a Boeing 737 as it prepared to land.

After the incident, Orr said he didn’t think security changes were needed. But Walton asked Charlotte police to investigate. In 2011,Comprehensive Wi-Fi and RFID tag by Aeroscout to accurately locate and track any asset or person. the CMPD investigation determined that the airport needed more people working security. It also said that perimeter fencing should be improved.

Bill Brawley and Sen. Bob Rucho,Wear a whimsical Disney ear cap straight from the Disney Theme Parks! both Matthews Republicans, are leading an effort to create an independent Charlotte Regional Airport Authority that would oversee the airport. Rucho introduced a bill last week that would create an 11-member board with a majority of members appointed by surrounding counties and state politicians.

If the airport were to move to an independent authority, its finances would be removed from city oversight and approval. The board would oversee the airport’s finances,We've got a plastic card to suit you. including the issuance of bonds.

Supporters of a more independent airport, such as Airport Advisory Committee member Ed McMahan, have told the Observer they became concerned by what they see as efforts for the city to exercise more control.

A Charlotte Douglas airport deputy director made a recent fact-finding trip to Asheville, where control of the airport was shifted from the city to an authority.

Orr said that he couldn’t comment on whether the 2010 bond review or the ensuing stricter financial controls are linked to the push for an authority.

“I’m not the one pushing the airport authority, so I really can’t answer that,The USB flash drives wholesale is our flagship product.” he said.

But earlier in January, before the authority bill was introduced at the General Assembly, Orr said in interviews that the airport would benefit from being run by an authority. He reiterated his position that the airport needs to function like a business, not as a city department.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers.

The prime time wild card

It’s a massive office with 20-foot-high ceiling. The mahogany desk on one side adds to the sombre atmosphere of hushed silences and austere power. An archway leads to an office meant only for secretarial staff much smaller in comparison, but big enough for several captains of industry. Walls adorned with large oil paintings of famous parliamentarians look down benignly. Behind the mahogany desk on a large green leather chair sits only the second woman to occupy that seat since Independence. It’s the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, generally perceived to be the second most significant post after the Prime Minister. When Parliament is in session, Sushma Swaraj is seen more at the main gate with her fellow boycotting other members, but that does not mean she has not done her homework. On the great FDI debate in December, her research on the subject and eloquence nearly took the day. She kept it focused, talking to the country through Parliament. “Will Wal-Mart care about the poor farmer’s sister’s wedding? Will Wal-Mart send his children to school? Will Wal-Mart notice his tears and hunger?” Her speech stirred the Lohiaites and was more convincing than the Left. In the end, 14 parties stood behind her. The vote was lost by a whisker, but an evolving reputation was clad in iron.

At the investors’ meet that took place in November 2012 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, her home state now, she arrived a little late as her flight had been delayed. Speeches by industrial leaders and politicians were immediately put on hold and a small wooden stool pushed behind the lectern for her to stand on. There were smiles all around. A stool is kept handy when Swaraj must make a speech. Most people are surprised when they first see Swaraj. She is petite—less than five feet—but her school headmistress demeanour makes everyone else appear a nursery kid, looking up at her. She loves to make small talk in informal settings with people around her and never forgets to ask the well-being of family members if she happens to have met them. At smaller,I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china-mosaics. cosier ladies’ sangeet-type family functions she is unafraid of shaking a leg, though it dusted up a little wind at Raj Ghat when she danced to a patriotic number.

The Shiv Sena is convinced of her ability to connect,We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. and lead the NDA alliance. There are others who believe Narendra Modi could be that person. The party itself does not want a debate on the issue right now. An exasperated Rajnath Singh recently said: “This is the last time I am asking BJP leaders to desist from making any comments on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.” But the issue will come up sooner rather than later with May 2014 not very far away and it will all come down to the ability to keep alliance partners happy.

The Jaipur conclave of the Congress, meanwhile, has made it clear that it is looking around for partners and tie-ups. Some of the current parties in the UPA fold may leave, like the TMC. It may have to look around for newer ones, preferably those currently aligned with the NDA, on the possibility of shared secular agendas. “The Congress would be most happy to take on Modi as it may lead to fissure in the NDA with the JD(U) opting out a distinct possibility. The SP and BSP may also be forced to junk their neutral outside-support stance,” says a Congress veteran. The mood at 24 Akbar Road is that Swaraj would be a tougher opponent with her appeal cutting across sections and communities.

That drama will unfold in coming months, but the Swaraj story looks set to get bigger,Laser engravers and laser engraving machine systems and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking etching business. and within the BJP first. Not since Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia have there been so many woman leaders of substance in the party—Uma Bharti, Vasundhara Raje and Sushma Swaraj. They have all taken different stairwells to the top. Bharti was the maverick firebrand who led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement till her first brush with serious power destabilised her and she stumbled. Raje, the Maharani, took her time but came into her own about 10 years ago when she led the BJP to power in Rajasthan, and though she missed a step later, she is back in saddle and ready to propel the party to power in her state. Swaraj’s of course has been the most significant success so far.

In the hype and hoopla and downslide games that have engaged the BJP and its leaders lately, Swaraj appears to have survived in the best shape. She’s fine-tuned her knack for saying the right thing at the right time in the right place, be it the FDI debate, an election in Gujarat, or politely refusing to become BJP president.

It first emerged in the media that L K Advani had floated her name as possible BJP president to replace Nitin Gadkari when it became clear that corruption allegations would sink his boat. “Advaniji had only said that there are suitable replacements. Two options are Sushma and Rajnath, and if the former is accepted then Leaders of Opposition in both Houses will have to be changed,” says a senior BJP party office-bearer. Sensing this was not be the right time to accept the job, Swaraj quietly told Advani of her reluctance, and later conveyed it to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as well.

She has consciously played on the right side of the RSS on all issues, sending a consistent message to Nagpur which is sometimes considered overly gender-sensitive in assigning roles. Throughout the past six months when the Sarsanghchalak was insistent that his nominee Nitin Gadkari be given a second term, she kept a calculated middle-of-the-road stance: never a word against the RSS line and still never seen to be against those opposed to Gadkari. It’s marvellous political posturing when everyone considers you “safe” including man of the moment Modi. At an election rally in Vadodara, she announced unequivocally: “Modiji mein woh sab qualities hain jo ek Prime Minister mein honi chahiye” (Modiji has those qualities which a prime minister should have). Others in the party are at the moment ambivalent on the subject, in accordance with a keep mum policy. “She is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and that in itself should be a pointer towards what the party expects from her,” says Prabhat Jha who has worked closely with Vajpayee and was till recently the BJP president of the Madhya Pradesh unit.

Raje, presently locked in a fierce intra-party struggle for supremacy within Rajasthan, may emerge with her stature enhanced by December if she delivers. She has the backing of Rajnath which saw her back in saddle as the state unit chief. That makes the equation interesting. Her appeal is quite unlike Swaraj’s though the base is as wide. Having won four Lok Sabha elections and been a Union minister, at 50 she acquired a common touch to lead a BJP resurgence in Rajasthan as she tirelessly travelled the dusty roads to annex the Jaipur crown. Her regal persona, the expensive sarees and jewellery only enhance her appeal in a curious inversion of what makes Swaraj tick. Outside the state and at BJP national executives, she is perhaps the only one signing autographs!

Most opinion polls over the past six months show her several points ahead of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. She will, of course, have to battle expectations as well. The BJP not only expects her to topple Gehlot with a clear majority but also deliver 20 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats. If that happens it could make her one of the most powerful sub-group leaders within the BJP, almost at par with Modi.

Swaraj’s breakthrough moment had come when she was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1990 and moved out of state politics. BJP was riding the Ram Mandir wave. Bharti and Advani were on its crest but the think-tank was also planning for the long term. As education minister in Haryana, she had impressed the RSS and Advani. Her stock went further up with the advent of 24-hour television.

Some politicians like to contest this but the coming of 24-hour television in 1992 shaped and reshaped the careers of many. Swaraj was a natural and almost made for TV. Her bindi-sindoor clicked with the viewing class with its new-found love for the saas-bahu shows.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. Judgments based on appearance, likeability and intelligent sound bites started pouring in fast. “She was the best bahu on view though sometimes overshadowed by the aggression of Bharti,” says a long-time associate. Nevertheless it helped her leapfrog over her contemporaries and shed the confines of state politics. She was sent to the affluent South Delhi constituency with arguably the most cable homes in the country in 1996 and 1998 before she briefly became Delhi chief minister in 1998. In 1999 she took up the legendary Bellary challenge against the Congress’s Sonia Gandhi. All along she knew that her stature would be enhanced even in loss.

Television, in fact, might have thrown up some more interesting names among women leaders in the wake of Swaraj becoming the most serious candidate for the top job since Indira Gandhi. These women are expected to evolve over the next few years and none seems to be more promising than Smriti Irani, 36. The other is Nirmala Sitharaman.

Irani rode the Tulsi avatar to land in the party of her choice, but Advani sees in her the same potential that he once saw in Bharti and Swaraj in their younger days. Advani’s ability to pick winner is proven. The mere mention of Irani’s name in his book My Country My Life served as a red carpet rolled out for her right into top echelons of 11 Ashoka Road. She now heads the Mahila Morcha and is a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. Former journalist Sitharaman, 54, of course is now better known than when she was as a member of National Women’s Commission. Her combative stance on issues on national television are significant signs of a developing thought leader within the party.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, which Sonia’s own partymen are believed to be buttonholing from behind the curtains,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? if passed may lead to a flood of more women leaders emerging from the grassroots. It is also believed that the BJP might be better prepared if the Bill indeed becomes a reality. It has actively built a cadre of women leaders both at the national and the state levels. Some states have even held taluka-level meetings of Mahila Morcha regularly in an attempt to not only multiply the voter base but find leaders from the grassroots. In comparison Congress is still dependent on family heiresses, widows and wives.

Brocklind’s costume shop selling its final tux

That would be Brocklind’s, closing Saturday after 106 years,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? with everything from tuxedos to a gorilla outfit on sale until the doors shut at 6 p.m.

At one point,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. in the 1990s, there were five Brocklind’s stores in this area. But as business slowed, by 2000 Brocklind’s returned to one main outlet, at 500 E. Pike St.

Back in the mid-1970s, when a group of Seattle revolutionaries calling themselves the George Jackson Brigade were held responsible for 11 bombings and 14 bank robberies, the FBI came by the Brocklind’s in the University District.

“The FBI had found an abandoned car used in one of the robberies, and in the back seat there was a receipt for makeup bought at our store,” says Jim DeAmbrosio,I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china-mosaics. who, along with his wife, Diane, will be the last to own Brocklind’s.

“They were showing me pictures and asking me if I could identify the people.”

DeAmbrosio is 62 and started working at the store at age 22, though even when he was 9 he was helping out his dad on Saturdays by polishing tux rental shoes.

By the way, ever wonder why tux rental shoes are so incredibly shiny? It’s because they’re made out of plastic, and sure, they make your feet sweat.

“But they do look good,” said DeAmbrosio. Right now, out the door,We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. you can have a pair for 10 bucks.

Jim and his brother, Jerry DeAmbrosio, took over the store from their dad, Ray DeAmbrosio, who began working as a salesman in 1932 at the original downtown location at Eighth Avenue and Olive Way.

The dad worked hard and soon was managing the place, and, with a partner, bought it in 1938. He kept the Brocklind’s name, an amalgamation of the last names of the two women who were the original owners — Brockman and Lindeman.

The 1991 Husky football team that shared the national championship was memorialized in a couple of classic sports posters in which then-coach Don James appeared as a gangster-inspired “Dawgfather,” surrounded by his players.

The second poster, issued for the 1991 homecoming, featured the 12 seniors on the team dressed in tuxedos.

Football players are big.

“Two of them wore size 66,” remembers DeAmbrosio. “We had one in stock and had to special-order the second one.”

The biggest tuxedo the store ever rented? It was a size 76.

“That’s a mountain man. We had to open both doors to let him in,” says DeAmbrosio.

Earlier in the closing sale, which began on Jan. 10, the size 76 went for $50.

Actually, if you can fit into the smaller tuxedo sizes — say a 38 or 40 jacket — there are still some 2,000 remaining for sale. Anything that doesn’t sell by day’s end will be put in storage or possibly wholesaled.

Some go back to the 1920s and are in excellent shape because back then, they were made of much heavier wool fabric. People were smaller then as well.

“In those days, the biggest waist size was 39,” says DeAmbrosio — a measurement many Americans now can only dream about.

For Jim and Diane DeAmbrosio, now seemed a good time to close up.

They have sold the building housing the store to Hunters Capital, a Seattle firm which specializes in preserving historical properties. Among plans it has for the store’s site is a restaurant.

DeAmbrosio says the store was making a profit, but a much smaller one than in previous years. The economics of the business had shifted.

A huge competitor in the tux-rental business is the Men’s Wearhouse, which has 1,239 stores nationwide.

The store’s costume-rental business has also suffered. A few decades ago, Brocklind’s employed six seamstresses who worked on costumes, but in recent years the store has had to compete with cheap Halloween outfits sold online.

So what if that bunny costume from an Internet supplier is flimsy? It’s cheap.

DeAmbrosio held up an Elizabethan jacket that was hand-stitched at his store. With its satin and velvet and heavy stitching, the thing must weigh 5 or 6 pounds.Laser engravers and laser engraving machine systems and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking etching business.

“You could wear it in a stage production. It’s real clothes,” he says.

Over the years, says DeAmbrosio, he’s gotten three or four calls from the Medical Examiner’s Office stating that a body was found with clothing bearing the Brocklind’s logo.

“Well, you know, one of the things in coming from a wedding, and having too much to drink, are the inevitable consequences,” he says.

And, finally, this from when Margaret “Peg” Parks ran the costume-making part of the store.

In a 1958 story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Parks said she “frequently gets calls from men for fig leafs.”

DeAmbrosio says no such costume was rented or sold in the years he was with the shop. Still, Parks must have been an interesting person to work with.

Welcome to the club

The Alpena wrestling team has battled through some rough patches this season, but coach Jake Stenz has been patient with his wrestlers and they've improved as the season has progressed and have achieved some great individual success.

Four Alpena wrestlers have made it to a Division 1 individual regional today at Saginaw Heritage High School: R.J. Centala,You must not use the laser cutter without being trained. Aleco Hantzis, Dakota Patterson and Felix Suszek.

Getting to regionals is always a big deal, but for Centala (140 pounds) and Hantzis (heavyweight) it's epic: Centala picked up his 100th win with his last match at individual districts, a win that sent him to regionals. Hantzis is making it to the regionals as a sophomore, something his older brother Andreas also achieved.

"Getting it (the 100th win) on the last match of the day, on the match that sent me to regionals was amazing.Ein innovativer und moderner Werkzeugbau Formenbau. I can't imagine a better feeling in the world. I got a whole lot of congratulations from everybody, from my family and friends and all my teammates," he said.

Centala also participates in cross country and track. Beyond the family connection, he was drawn to wrestling due to its achievement-based nature.

"It's individual. There's no politics. If you're better than somebody else, you start. There's no second guessing or favoritism," Centala said. "I've been wrestling since I was four. There's a huge history of wrestling in my family, mostly on my dad's side. My dad, my uncle, my cousins and basically all the guys on that side wrestled for Rogers City."

Stenz finds that this support from a young age was key to Centala's success.

"Part of his success is due to the youth programs he participated in, but a lot of it has to due with his practice partners. He spent two years with Andreas Hantzis who really helped mold him into a great wrestler," he said.

"I've had constant support from my dad, from the school and from my coach (Stenz). They've really helped me get up into the higher levels and have constantly taught me new things about wrestling," he said.

Centala hopes to attend either Grand Valley State or Olivet to become a middle school history and science teacher. He is leaning towards Olivet as Grand Valley has no wrestling program.

Hantzis' family history of wrestling may not be as intensive as Centala's, but his brother Andreas made it to regionals several times and has helped spark Aleco's interest in the sport. Aleco has been wrestling since junior high.

He participates in wrestling and track too but finds wrestling to be his favorite sport by a long shot.Application can be conducted with the local designated IC card producers.

"It's really aggressive. It's one of those sports that really takes a lot of talent. You can't fake your way through a match you really have to wrestle hard and earn a win," he said.

Hantzis is looking forward to the chance to compete in the regional championship.

"Everybody looks really equal this year.Did you know that custom keychain chains can be used for more than just business. It's really a fair field but I definitely think there's a chance I could win," he said.

Stenz praised his wrestlers, noting that their hard work has helped them reach this point.

"R.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead made.J. is really getting great as is Aleco. They're always key wrestlers n every meet. Dakota Patterson has to be getting really close to hitting 100 at this point and J.D. Niergarth is gonna end up just shy," Stenz said. "It's really a testament to the skill of these kids. They've competed against wrestlers from schools like Davison who are the second in the state and in the top 50 in the nation. And they've beat them! The fact that they can pick up 100 wins playing against teams like this just shows how talented and hard working they are," he said.

"Sports has been the most positive thing that I've been involved with throughout my life. You have expectations when you're part of sports teams. It was good for me to have that. Coming to school every day. Going to practice. Getting good grades," Gormley said.

"For him, who cares about the playoffs? The big picture for him is June. He's got a future. He's a bright kid and he listens and he wants to learn," said Jason Briggs, Waterville's boys basketball coach. "This is a game. You have to remind him, with all you've been through, this is a game."

It was the January of Gormley's sophomore year when he gave up on school. You don't go to school for a day. Then you skip the next day, and the next. Then you realize, you're a drop out.

"I didn't come for a week, then I'd come for a couple of days," Gormley said. "I was dealing with a lot of problems outside of school, and basically I made some bad choices that resulted in me dropping out."

Briggs remembers Gormley coming off the bench and playing well, helping the Purple Panthers win at Mt. View on a Friday night.